Process for the treatment of beet-root, &amp;c.



No. 847,126. PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

G.STEFPEN.

PROCESS-FOR THE TREATMENT OF BBET RO0T,.&c.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1903.

1 r r'rnarnn r oAnL STEFFEN, OFVIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

success FOR THE raitsraasur OF eesr uoo'r, .800.

Specificationof Letters Patent. v

Patented March 12, 1907.:

Application filed July 29,1903. Serial lllo. 167.516-

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CARL STEFFEN, a subject of the Emperor of Austria,residing at Vienna, in the Empire of Austria, have invented certain newand useful improvements in processes for the treatment of beetroot,sugar-cane, and the like preparatory to the extraction of the juicestherefrom, of

which the following is a specification.

In the usual processes for the extraction of the juices from beet-root,sugar-cane, andother sacchariferous plants the beet-root or cane is outup or crushed before extracting the juices therefrom. This cutting up iseflected either in the form of so-called diffusion cuttingsor in theform of fiat disks,

according as the juice extraction. is to be e1- fected by thediflusionprocess or by the hotpressing process. When beet-root 1n theshape of pulp is to besubsmitted to the pressing operation, thebeet-root must previously be reduced in the known manner to a pulp. Inthe pressing process for sugar-cane this is first crushed. This cuttingup or crushing, which always more or less exposes the interior of theplant to the atmosphere, is the cause of various disadvantages asregards the obtaining of pure juices and a good yield of sugar.

Thepresent invention relates to a new preparatory process for treatingthe beet-root tities of crude beet-root juice, such a difiusion juice,press juice, &c., being heated to a temperature of from centigrade toboiling-point, (preferably 97 Centigrade.) The cutting upis effectedwhile the material is immersed in the hot juice, whereby, on the onehand, the cut surfaces are covered by the hot juices and, on the otherhand,so large a quantity of hot juice is employed for acertain amount ofbeet-"root or cane that a tolerably' liquid mixture is produced. Fromthe combined beet-root or cane cuttings and the juices associatedtherewith the heat of the juice is sufficient to produce in the saidmixture a temperature of from 45 to 100 centigrade, (preferably aboutcentigrade.)

juice) and the beetiroot or cane euttin s roducedby the cutting-updevice alrea y 11.1-

A rapid interchange of heat talies place between the hot raw juice(scalding ing such cutting up and every exposed'cut or crushed surfaceof the beet-root or'cane comes at once in contact with suflicientl largequantities of hot juice for insuringsuc surfaces being raised to thedesired temperature at the moment of their exposuretothe scalding juiceunder exclusion of the air; i. The said scalding-juice supplywhich-passes the cutting-up apparatus. for the purpose of heating thebeet-root or cane cuttings can,

if necessary, be further heated in the cutting up vessel byintroducingsteam into the juice,

in which case the quantity of hot scalding juice supplied can besomewhat reduced.

By the. exceedingly rapid heating of the beet-root or cane cuttingsalready during the cutting operation in the cutting device totemperatures (varying centigrade .(preferaby '85"v centig'ra'de) and bythe great quantities of heated scalding those circumstances are obviatedwhich cause'a deterioration of the juice and reduction in the yield ofsugar when the beet-root or cane cuttings are then submitted to theoperation of extraction of the juice by means between 45 and 100 of thediffusion process or of the pressing process. The

described treatment of the material with large quantities of hot rawjuice as a scalding liquid difiers very materially from.

the known method of heating the cuttings by means of steam, because thesteam has'n'ot the power of effecting the sudden'increase of.

temperature of the beet-root or cane cuttings,

the surfaces of which in effecting the conden: sation of the steamreceive a coatingof water that prevents any rapid interchange of heatand which also reduces the quality. of

I 5 cc In the accompanying drawing is shown by l the juice.

way of examplean arrangement of apparatus by means of which thepractical carrying out of the above-described process can-be effected.Sis a cutting'apparatus'the lower mg I part of which is situated in atrough B, with which it communicates. The beet-root or apparatus, inwhichit-is cut 11 by the revolv;

ing eutting-disk S into di usion chips or.

cane is introduced into'the top of the cutting- 80 juice undersimultaneous exclusion of air disks. The cutting-disk is situated belowthe surface a of the liquor or j uiee with which the trough is filledand is thus immersed in the l quid. Raw juice heated toabout 97centigrade (scalding 'uice) is introduced into the trough B throng a ipeN at about the level of the cuttin -disk is The supply of t- 1e scaldingjuice heated to about 97.eentigrade through the pipe N is soproportioned as' to amount to a times the quantity of beet-root out ncby the cutting apparatus in a given time, t 'e juice being made toimpinge u on the .cut material as it passes throught e cutting-disk SfThe pipe N is for this purpose arrangedt'angentially to the periphery ofthe cutting apf paratus, so that the beet-root cuttings as they passthrough the'cutters are obliged to come into intimate contact with thescalding juice which makes a rotatin motion when entering the apparatus.The mixture of juice and beet-root cutting, which,-with theabove-mentioned temperature of 97 centigrade of the scalding juice, willat once as- 5 sume a temperature of about 83 to 85 centigrade, isconveyed along the trough B to the rear end thereof by the transportingstirring device X, the beet-root or cane cuttings being there raised upout of the trough B 3 freed from the juice by the conveying-wormF,.,which delivers the same to another worm F, that transports them tothe locality at K, where the extraction of the juice from the hotcuttings by means of either diffusion or pressing processes is eilectedin the known manner. At the rear part of the trough B is a sieve 2,through which the scalding juice havingnowatemperature of about 83 to 85centigrade passes into the space WV, the beet- 4 root cuttings beingretained by tlieysieve. From the space W the juice is led through pipe nor n to a steam-injector .P or to a pump P, which communicates with aheater (l and which propels it through the pi es N back into the frontend of the trough 3, the

scalding juice being heated on its way either by direct steam. in theinjector I or'by passing through a suitable heater L, so as to attainthe temperature of 97 cenligrade again 56 before passing into thetrough. The raw ,jjuiee extracted from the heel. or cane cuttings at theextracting-works at K is also led.

,through pi e M into the space'lv behind the sieve zin t 1e trough B,where it mixes with the clrculntmg scalding uice. In the space Wisanoverllbw-pipe I, through which the excess of juice equal in quantityto that comea /312s.

a corresponding portion of the juice up into where the separation of thescalding juice from the beet cuttings is efiected in any desirable way.In this case the pump P is put in direct communication with the bottomdischarge (the space beneath the sieves or the overflow-pipe) of thediffuser and propels the separated scalding juice through the heater 0and pipe N freshly heated back again into the trough B until the feedingof the diffuser with heated beet or cane cuttings is completed. Thediffusion juice discharged from the battery ratus, &c.)" is t en made totake the same (through measuring appa course to the pump P as thescalding juice that is led-back from the diffuser after having conveyedthe heated beet cuttings thereto. The juice accumulating in the scaldingtrough B is led ed, as before stated, through overflow-pipe U and pipe yto the sugar-factory at D.

If the beet-root isto be worked up into pulp instead of being cut up,the pulping apparatus of suitable known construction is so arranged thatthe working surfaces of'the same are below the level of the juice in thesame way as the eutterof the cutting appa 'ratus, and the hot scaldingjuice is made to pass in contact with the pulping devices in the sameproportional quantityas above described with reference to the cuttingapps; ratus. if sugar-eane is'to be treated by the pressing process,crushing-rollers are substituted for the cutting or pulping apparatusfor crushing the cane as it is fed in, the crush-' ing-rollcrsbcingarranged to work under the level of the scalding juice, and the hotscalding juice made to ilow in the indicated uantities throughthe'rollcrs, together with illecrushed cane, and fed to thescaldingtrough B.

At the rear end of the trough B thejli'eated crushed cane sepa ratcdfrom thcsealding j nice is then delivered-tothe presses in some suitableway. In the said presses the cane while in a hot state ispressedout,while the separatt ed scalding juice together with thatpressed 1 out of the cane are. led back to the trough B ing from K islcdloll' md is conducted to the g su ar-i'actory through a pipe 7 .60

cutting apparatus from time to time, the

i stones requirolo be removed from the i level o'lthc juice. in thescalding-trough is allowed to sinlcbclowthe cuttingalislt S, this beingcll'ccted. by closing the cock 0 on 6 5 the-pipe N and causing thepum pP to force as above described with ttl'crcnce to the diffusionapparatus. I ll during the disintegration of the beet in the cuttingapparatusintojdiil'usion cuttings,

the uhove-described operation. having for purpose to keep the cuttingsout of contact with the air and tomaintain the mixture of beet-rootjuice and cuttingsin a su'flicientl liquid condition, is to be'carriedoutwit raw juice or diffusion juice/at ordinar'y ternseries the heatingdevice C and the worm conveyor F are'dispensei'l with, because themixture in of pro- 1 i .3 1 sun in toe I of beet cuttings and.dill'usion. juice is made to flow directly into the dill'usion-lmttery.

In the (lniusionbattery or inthc diilnscr which is to be filled a pertoi the quantity of therefrom, which consists in cutting, or-d1s1nthejuice is separated. from the mixture of 7 materials, and, namely, thescgmretcd Jinn- 3 tity of the juice is such. their the di loser which isbeing filled. can he filled up with the necessary quantity of cuttings,end s snllicient quantity oi juice remains therein for enabling to keepthe cuttings in condition.

tity of juice has been closed, the remaining juice is only thenentirely" separated during 1 manner the heel: cuttings are entirelypreserved from any edinission of atmospheric en immersed j When thediiiuscr thus filled with cuttings and wltn the necessary quen- In thisair from the moment of the conunenccincntg of the cutting operationuntil the jlllCf is cornplctely cxtrsctcri from the szunc.

l. cunnil. A process consisting of disintegrating plants while they aresurrounded by unextraccingliquid.

R. The hc'.ein-descrihed process of treating sugar-heels and otherplants for the purpose ol extracting sugar or other substances thcrclmm,which consists in cutting or disiutcgnntinp; said plants while they aresur-' rounded by o hot extracting liquid.

9. The heroin-described process of treating sugsi hcets and other plantsfor the purpose of extracting sugar or other substances in ating saidplants While they are siir v inn; the rcsultin; liquid into contact withthe plants undergoing disintegration.

W. The herein-described. process oftre'ating heets, and other plants forthe purpose r traction sugar or other substances iere rom, whichconsists in cutting or disin re-grating said plants While they aresurroniuled lay an extracting liquid, returning the resulting liquidintocont-act with the plants undergoing disintegration, and heating saidliquid on its return-pnth.

l i The hereiii-described process of treating sugar-beets and otherplants for the purpose of extracting sugar or other substancestherefrom, which consists in cutting or disintegrating ssid plants whilethe are surrounded l ff on cxtrectingliqui then. ex-

saccharifcrous plants, and subjecting the turning the extractedplice-mto contact wlth same while ltcing disintegrated to the action ofu succhariferous llquul.

2. A process COIlSlSilllfJf of disintcgn'eting 'secclierilerous plants,and suhjcciing tle same While hcing disiniogrntod to lhcsci'ion. i

sacchariferous plants, subjecting the some while hemg disentcgretcd tothe nciion of a I seccheriferous liquid, and subsequently separating thesolid and liquid matter.

5. A process consisting. of disintegrating seccheriierous plants,subjecting the some while being disintcsrrsteii to illQ nciionol :1seccherii'erous liquid then separating: the solid and liquid and linulhiuti- .ing the lio uid to not upon 21 fresh. supply oi inicclinrifcn ousplants.

6. T he liereiiinlescrihed process of tr ating: sugar-beets and otherplziiits lor the purpose of extracting auger or other substancestherefrom, which consists in cutting or disin tegrnting. ssiil' plantswhile they ere surrounded by an extracting liquid.

7. The hereinclescrihed process of renting sugar-beets and other plantsfor the purpose of extracting sugar or other substances therefrom, whichconsists in heating and at the some time cutting or disinte reting saidlrncting the juice from the material, and rethe plants undergoingdisintegration.

12. The herein-descrihed process of treating sugar-livers and otherplants for the purpose of extracting: sugar or other suhstancestherefrom, which consists in cutting or disintegrating said plants whilethey are surrounded hy en extracting liquid, then extracting the iuicefrom the material, returning the extracted juice into contact with theplants undergoing disintegration, and heat inn said juice on itsreturn-path.

13. The herein-described process of treating sugar-heels and otherplantsfor the purpose of extracting sugar or othersubstonces therefrom,which consists in cutting or disintcgzruiing said plants while they aresurrounded "oy an extracting liquid, and then;

scpnreihu: the extracted price from the ren'uiinin'g material.

14. The herein-described process of treating suger-beets and otherplants for the purpose of extracting sugar or other substancestherefrom, which consists in cutting or dismtcgrnting said plants whilethey are surrounded by an extracting liquid, then sepsratzn'g theextracted ,IHXCPS from the remaining meteriel, and thereupon subjectingthis re.-

innining nmterial to pressure.

15. The herein-described process of treating sugerdueets and otherplants for the purpose of est-rooting sugar I or other substancestherelrorn, which consists in cutting or (118111- IIG tegrating saidplants while they are sur- In testimony whereof I have hereunto setrounded by an extracting iiq'uid, then sepamy hand in presence of twosubscribing Witrating the extracted juice from the remaining messes. v(material, subjecting this remaining nn'zterial CARL ST EF F EN.

to. pressure to extract a further amount of Wnnesses:

' contact with themnterial,

juice therefrom, and returning this juice into ALvns'ro S HOGUE.

AUGUST EUGGER'

